Trio of chocolate pots de crème with matcha

Published in The Los Angeles Times – May 13, 2009

Pots de Crème takes its name from the petits pots in which the lightly set custard is baked and served. In my recipe the traditional French dessert is composed as a trio of three chocolates – white, milk, dark – each accessorized with the identical dusting of matcha. The counterpoint of custards allows for a comparative tasting of these chocolates and how their relative sweetness and bitterness interact with nuanced flavor of the green tea powder. [Read more...]

14 May 2009 By Leave a Comment
Filed Under: desserts, recipes, tea Tagged With: , , , , ,

Cold olive oil spread

pat of EVOOBy freezing and then partially thawing extra virgin olive oil, three-star chef Gérard Passédat of Le Petit Nice in Marseille transforms EVOO into a soft but very much solid topping that can be used like table butter. You can spread it over toast, cut it into cubes to scatter over  hot potatoes or place thin slices over a cooked piece of fish or slab of beef. It also opens up the possibility of “compound” cold cold EVOO melts over baked potato
olive oils, meaning herb-flavoured olive oil chilled in a like manner. But since semi-freezing a good quality oil lets you discover its character as it melts on your tongue, it may be counterproductive to hide its nuanced flavour with herbs or spices. Gérard allowed me to adapt his recipe for my cookbook, Made in Marseille.

2-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  1. The day before: Pour the oil into a small ramekin or relish dish and freeze for at least 24 hours.
  2. At least 1 hour before serving, transfer it to the refrigerator to soften a bit. Remove immediately before serving.
13 February 2009 By Leave a Comment
Filed Under: recipes Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Crunchie semifreddo

‘Twas the night before Halloween and I was at the local Tesco Express, taking full advantage of a 2-for-70p offer on Crunchie bars. These were to be bestowed 24 hrs hence upon the local elves.  True, my wife and I did not greet a single costumed trick-or-treater at the door of our Islington flat over the past three Halloweens. Still, we could not bear the thought of disappointing even one hungry child who might roam our way. And if perchance our Crunchies were left unclaimed we would put them to good use. This year’s inspiration was to chop up a few of the unclaimed bars and sprinkle the bits between the layers of a semifreddo. [Read more...]

3 November 2008 By 1 Comment
Filed Under: desserts, London, recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Roast chips recipe

My desire to make homemade, hand-cut, skin-on, twice-fried chips fades with every passing day of my new life in the roast potato paradise that is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. As much as I love chunky “fries”, I can’t justify the greasy mess and lasting pong of deep-frying potatoes when I could be roasting them to a perfect crisp, as they do so expertly at two of my favourite kitchens: the Rivington Bar & Grill‘s and my mother-in-law’s.  If only I could British roast my chips…

[Read more...]

31 October 2008 By 1 Comment
Filed Under: fruit & veg, London, recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,